Comeback complete, Republican Sanford could be wild card in Congress

May 08, 2013|Reuters

* Republican Sanford does not owe national party after win

* Democrats say result undermines Republican pitch to women

By John Whitesides

WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - Fresh off a redemptive win inSouth Carolina's special election, former Governor MarkSanford's return to Congress will make him a prominent wild cardin an already fractious Republican caucus.

Sanford, whose political career was short-circuited in 2009by an extramarital affair that marred his last 18 months asgovernor, earned a political rebirth along with a seat in theU.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday by defeating DemocratElizabeth Colbert Busch.

Sanford will arrive in Washington owing little to theRepublican Party's leadership, which withheld its support as hebattled Colbert Busch in their heavily Republican district. Oncehe returns to the House seat he held from 1995 to 2001, hisindependence and staunch fiscal conservatism could give himclout as Congress enters another round of divisive battles overthe federal budget.

"There is obviously the potential for Sanford to be a realthorn in (the House Republican) leadership's side," Republicanstrategist Ford O'Connell said. "He's a free agent; he can dowhatever he wants."

The House Republican campaign committee did not give anyfinancial support to his bid for a political comeback, butSanford said on Wednesday he was willing to work with partyleaders.

"I would say yesterday is yesterday and today is today, andI look forward to working with them," Sanford said on CBS's"This Morning" show.

Sanford's victory completed his comeback from a scandal thatbegan when he disappeared for five days in June 2009 to secretlyvisit his mistress in Argentina. He had told his staff that hewould be hiking along the Appalachian Trail.

In launching his comeback, Sanford - now divorced from JennySanford and engaged to Maria Belen Chapur, the Argentinian womanwith whom he had the affair - survived a 16-way Republicanprimary and a runoff in April. He then topped Colbert Busch inthe race to succeed Republican Tim Scott, who was appointed tofill the U.S. Senate seat vacated when Jim DeMint retired.

The House Republican campaign committee dropped itsfinancial support of Sanford last month after reports that hisex-wife had accused him of trespassing on her property, inviolation of their divorce agreement. Sanford said he was in thehouse to watch the Super Bowl with his youngest son.

Sanford will appear in court in South Carolina on Thursdayto answer the trespassing complaint before he heads toWashington to resume his career in Congress.

'PROVEN RECORD'

Sanford attributed his win to his record of fiscalconservatism. He said on Wednesday he will have "plenty offriends" in Washington and would work hard with members of bothparties to cut the budget.

"At the end of the day, I think people care about howpolitics impacts their lives," he said on NBC's "Today" show."I've got a rather proven record in trying to do something onthat front, particularly as it relates to financial issues."

House Speaker John Boehner and other Republican leaders havehad difficulty keeping conservative members in line during thebudget debates. Sanford pushed hard to cut spending during hisfirst stint in Congress, before the Tea Party movement made it atop priority for Republicans, and he can be expected to make hisvoice heard during the upcoming budget battles.

"He's been a little bit of a rebel. He's been moreconservative than about 90 percent of Republicans based on hispast voting record," said Gibbs Knotts, political sciencechairman at College of Charleston.

He also is likely to be around a while. The heavy Republicantilt of the coastal district, which Mitt Romney won by 18percentage points last year in the presidential election, makesit unlikely that Democrats will be able to mount a viablechallenge to Sanford anytime soon.

Both parties tried to make the best of Sanford's win,however. Republicans portrayed it as a sign of voterdissatisfaction with the agenda of national Democrats andPresident Barack Obama. Democrats said his election wouldundermine Republican efforts to appeal to women voters.

But analysts warned that, despite all the national attentionto the race, the result probably revealed little about thebroader mood of voters in the off-year between the 2012presidential election and the 2014 congressional elections.

Sanford was able to link Colbert Busch to Washingtonliberals like House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, appearing atone point in a mock debate with a cardboard cutout of theliberal Pelosi.

"It was a triumph of demographics and ideology for Sanford.He took positions that were more in line with the district'sRepublican voters," Knotts said.

The Democratic House campaign committee andDemocratic-leaning outside groups poured nearly $1 million intothe race against Sanford. Despite the loss, they said Sanford'selection made a mockery of Republican efforts to appeal towomen.

"House Republicans' outreach to women voters now has MarkSanford as the face," said Representative Steve Israel of NewYork, Democratic House campaign committee chairman. "Republicansnow have to defend him and stand with him until election day."

Although they failed to support his campaign, nationalRepublicans claimed it was a warning sign for Democrats lookingtoward the 2014 elections.

"At the end of the day, running on the Obama-Pelosi ticketwas just too toxic for Elizabeth Colbert Busch," saidRepresentative Greg Walden of Oregon, Republican House campaigncommittee chairman.

(Additional reporting by Harriet McLeod in South Carolina,Vicki Allen in Washington; Editing by David Lindsey and CynthiaOsterman)